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Alan Beavitt (b. 1939) made his first violin while still at school, but spent the first 20 years of his professional life as a research physicist in Australia and England, moving to the Highlands of Scotland in 1974 to take up a second career in violin making.
In recent years he has been researching into the ageing of violins, culminating in the discovery of the effect of atmospheric humidity variations on violins. Atmospheric humidity is constantly varying and this induces creep (very small dimensional changes) in violins and changes the sound. Alan Beavitt has devised a humidity cycling process which accelerates the improvements which normally take place over many years. It also stabilises dimensions critical to playing so that adjustments do not have to be made to the bridge and sound post at a later date, as is normal with new violins.
Simon Rowland-Jones, distinguished viola soloist, commented about a new viola which had been through the conditioning process:
"I am astonished at the difference... The previously robust tone has been transformed, as though it were suddenly a couple of hundred years older"
Price & delivery on application
Alan Beavitt, Scorraig, Dundonnell, Ross-shire, IV23 2RE, Scotland.
Tel. +44 (0) 1854 633293
email: alanbeavitt@scoraig.com
Humidity cycling . . . scientific paper about a process which "ages" new violins.
